


The Mechanics of Self-Salvation

by reuni0n



Category: Fate/Grand Order, Fate/stay night & Related Fandoms
Genre: F/M, Ficlet, Reflection, the super subtle kadoc/anastasia but its there
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-01-10
Updated: 2021-01-10
Packaged: 2021-03-14 18:27:29
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,446
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28675194
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/reuni0n/pseuds/reuni0n
Summary: Much unlike her, the white haired Caster shrugged. "Such is the way that politics work, Master. Sometimes you have to ally yourself with those you don't get along with to get what you desire.""You are who you're with. I'd rather not get grouped with those two," Kadoc said before taking a swig from his cup and emptying it. Again, what a waste.Kadoc and Anastasia ponder over the justifications of their past and future actions.Fate Week 2021 Day 1: Hero/Villain
Relationships: Anastasia Nikolaevna Romanova | Caster/Kadoc Zemlupus
Kudos: 13





	The Mechanics of Self-Salvation

Yaga Moscow. 

This city that at first glance looked like nothing but a heaven of pure white was in truth nothing but a very easy on the eyes version of one of the deepest circles of hell. And word on the street was that life in the sticks away from the city was even worse, that the Oprichniki and that fox-eared vixen ruled with an iron fist and kept the Yaga struggling to keep their heads above the water with the harsh winter and lack of food. 

It was enough to make a grown man cry. Not this man, however. This man sitting in an incredibly cozy room for this world's standards, having tea with a girl destined to become the Grand Duchess. 

"...ter…" a distant voice called out. 

"Master!" Anastasia's voice was finally loud enough to break through the cloud of thoughts surrounding Kadoc's mind, bringing him back to his senses. 

"What is it?" he asked with a tinge of annoyance in his voice, turning his gaze away from the window right to him and back to her. 

"Tea. Another cup. Do you?" Anastasia replied sweetly, pointing at the empty cup sitting in front of him. 

Kadoc shook his head. "I'm good. That's the last of the tea leaves Peperoncino sent. You can drink what's left if you want." 

Anastasia pouted. "Now that won't do. Tea is meant to be shared, master." 

"I'd still rather you have it. You can probably appreciate the finer tones of the flavor or whatever it is he loves to go on about much better than I do anyway," said the gray haired crypter, giving her a self-deprecating smile. 

Anastasia heavily sighed. "Master, I intend to have you as my right hand once I rise to the seat of Grand Duchess. Do you think that's an attitude befitting of someone holding such a high rank?" Anastasia chidingly asked, pouring both of them a last cup as the teapot ran dry. 

Kadoc sighed, putting the cup to his lips and taking a small sip. It tasted like every other tea he had in the past. What a waste. "Have that priest do it then. Isn't he a good friend of yours? I'm fine working from the shadows." 

"Macarius? A friend of mine?" Anastasia said, struggling to contain a snicker. "That man is no friend of mine. Or anyone but himself, while we're at it." 

"Is that so." 

"I consider myself a good judge of character, Master. Whether he's Macarius, Gregori or anyone else, he's as far away from a man of faith and the cloth as you can get," Anastasia said, taking a sip from her own teacup then settling it down with a contented sigh. "I believe there's a fundamental evil in his heart. A seed of darkness, if you will." 

Kadoc smirked. "That sounds unnecessarily harsh. I'd like to believe we have at least one ally beyond one another." 

Anastasia smiled. "How about Koyanskaya?" 

Kadoc struggled not to burst laughing. "That dumbass is only good at being a clown and kicking people who are already on the floor. If Macarius is as despicable as you claim then I don't know what she is." 

Much unlike her, the white haired Caster shrugged. "Such is the way that politics work, Master. Sometimes you have to ally yourself with those you don't get along with to get what you desire." 

"You are who you're with. I'd rather not get grouped with those two," Kadoc said before taking a swig from his cup and emptying it. Again, what a waste. 

Anastasia's eyes glinted, her interest piqued. "Why? Are you afraid of what the public could brand you?" 

Kadoc grunted. "I couldn't care less about the Yaga's opinion of me. You, on the other hand, are supposed to represent hope and liberation from Ivan's cold merciless grip. How are we supposed to paint that image of you if we ally with those who are undoubtedly shady?" 

Anastasia softly giggled. "I didn't expect you to care about that kind of stuff, Master." 

"I don't. I abandoned all hope of being seen as a hero of any kind when I accepted the Sirius Light. Even now, you could say that my actions are villainous, seeing as I'm revving up to fight, nay, kill those who are trying to save mankind." 

"Would you consider Chaldea's actions heroic, then? If their plans go as desired, this world will disappear and with it all of the Yaga." 

Kadoc sighed. "You could spin that around as a good thing. The Yaga hardly live, what they do is more try to survive in an increasingly hostile environment. If I were them, not having to endure decades of cold and starvation would seem like salvation." 

Anastasia sadly smiled, looking out the window, her gaze glued to the snowflakes dancing as they fell from the great beyond. "It's not as if they've ever known anything else. At least you and me still have our memories of less harsh times." 

"Winters in Katowice are still merciless," Kadoc said under his breath in an attempt at a joke. Unfortunately, he forgot about the superhuman senses all servants, even Casters possess. 

Laughing, Anastasia stood up, walking towards the window. "One of these days you'll have to tell me more about your life, Master. I've had enough of you keeping it under wraps." 

Kadoc exhaled, getting up and following her. "I'm not hiding anything. It's just not interesting, especially in comparison to yours." 

Looking out the window, Anastasia gazed at the endless, forever gray sky. Would she be able to do anything about this horrendously bleak panorama? She wondered. "Then, how about we both talk about it after this is all over over some tea?" 

"I don't mind," Kadoc said, shrugging. "We still need to find a way to deal with Chaldea however, seeing as Koyanskaya is clearly useless." 

Anastasia looked at Kadoc, smiling. "How about we ally ourselves with them? That way we don't have to kill good people, and we'd have some extra help when it comes to ripping away the seeds of misery spread across this land. Doesn't it sound like a win-win?" 

Kadoc audibly snorted, his breath leaving a clear print in the frosty glass window. "Don't talk nonsense. I'd rather get mauled by the Oprichniki than ask that group of nonces for help. Might be what I deserve by this point, anyway…" 

Anastasia's head snapped towards her Master, glaring. "Say something like that again and you'll have to deal not with the Oprichniki, but Viy." 

"Fine. Sorry." Kadoc apologized, trying to ignore the chills at his back. If what he remembered was right, then the demon sitting looking over his servant's shoulder was more frightening than any blade he could ever come in contact with. 

"It's okay, Master," Anastasia said, her hand reaching for Kadoc's. It was cold but also incredibly soft, making Kadoc feel as though he was holding a bunch of snow. "I don't mind you being prideful. But what have you done that could be considered so evil, other than trying to survive?" 

"History will decide that, not you or me." 

"History is decided by the winners, isn't it? All we need to do is come out victorious and suddenly all we have done and could do in the future will be considered justified," Anastasia said, an angelical smile on her face. 

"Spoken like a true aristocrat," Kadoc said, snorting through his nose, "I imagine you blue blooded lot have never been too fond of the concept of ethics or justice." 

"Master." Anastasia said, huffing as she tightened her grip on Kadoc's hand enough to make him wince. "You might have a point, but you should be more careful with your words in the future. Other people won't be as forgiving as me." 

Kadoc decided to stay silent, lest he risk having to put his foot in his mouth again today. 

"Regardless," Anastasia said, "again, you might be right. Neither you or me are doing all of this out of love for the Yaga, or this accursed land. Ultimately, I don't think we can save them, let alone Russia. I'm only doing this out of love for my parents, who would undoubtedly drop dead from sadness if they were to ever learn of the way things work around here these days." 

"That's uncharacteristically grim of you," Kadoc said. 

"It's the unfortunate truth," Anastasia said, her mouth a tight line. 

"Well, that's fine. As long as we manage to survive together I don't mind what others deign us as. Heros, villains. Altruists, narcissists. It's all noise to me." 

Anastasia smiled, intertwining her fingers with Kadoc's. "Yes. Let's survive together, Master."


End file.
